The Blog-Happy Spouse Balance

It is no secret that my husband worries I will someday publically write or say something that will hurt his career.

I am not nearly as worried about this as he is. But then again, it’s not my career that’s at stake.

Many spouse bloggers get around this by operating either mostly (like many of the spouses on here who write under handles but reveal their full identities if you meet them) or entirely (like this fantastic spouse about whom I literally know almost nothing, including her husband’s service, though we’ve met) under an alias. Because I was sitting on a professional journalism career before I ever blogged a word, anonymity was never an option.

It’s not breaking OPSEC that concerns me so much as accidentally angering a vindictive Army officer. Most days this is not a problem. After all, when was the last time you saw someone get really angry over a hard hitting post on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition? That’s what I thought.

When I start feeling nervous is when stories like this are released, and it’s all I can do to keep my big mouth shut … or when I stumble upon a situation rightly deserving of major criticism and want to call “shenanigans.”

But the military is full of catty people, and there’s always the possibility that an opinion legitimately and even graciously expressed will annoy the wrong person, or even the wrong person’s spouse. What if, for example, you were to boldly go where no spouse had gone before and declare uniform purses “tacky,” only to find that the mean spouse of your husband’s squad leader is a proud wearer? Awkward. And potentially damaging.

How do you balance a public blog life with protecting your husband’s career and reputation?

Amy is the editor in chief of Military.com’s spouse and family blog SpouseBuzz.com. A journalist by trade, Amy also covers spouse and family news for Military.com where she is the managing editor of spouse and family content. An Army wife and mother of two, Amy has been featured as a subject matter expert on CNN.com, NPR, Fox News, NBC, CBS, ABC and BBC as well as in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post. Follow her on twitter @amybushatz.